The top 12 albums selected to be in the running for a Mercury prize have just been announced, with Arctic Monkeys’ groundbreaking Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino being a strong contender.
Full list:
- Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino
- Everything Everything – A Fever Dream
- Everything Is Recorded – Everything Is Recorded
- Florence + The Machine – High As Hope
- Jorja Smith – Lost & Found
- King Krule – The Ooz
- Lily Allen – No Shame
- Nadine Shah – Holiday Destination
- Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Who Built The Moon?
- Novelist – Novelist Guy
- Sons of Kemet – Your Queen Is A Lizard
- Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life
Out of all the artists this year, Arctic Monkeys have been nominated the most over the years after two previous shortlistings and one win; beating even Oasis who have only been in the running twice in the 90s. However, this could be the year ex-Oasis man Noel finally takes the trophy home with his latest album with The High Flying Birds. Alternatively, this is Florence’s third nomination in nine years, while Jorja Smith, Lily Allen and Wolf Alice make their debut on the shortlist.
The Mercury Prize became an established awards ceremony in 1992 and exclusively celebrates the the releases of British and Irish musicians across a range of genres. Past winners include Pulp (1996), PJ Harvey (2001 and 2011) and Skepta (2016). The 12 judges this year, who include DJs/broadcasters Clara Amfo and MistaJam, musicians Ella Eyre and Marcus Mumford, and music critics Phil Alexander and Will Hodgkinson, had to choose between over 200 albums submitted before selecting these final potential winners.
The winner will be announced on on 20th September at the live ceremony at London’s Eventim Apollo.
